2 . One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem—inability to read.

In the library, I found my way into the “Children’s Room”. I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my “secret sharer”, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.

There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked identical(相同的) to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos: the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.

Under the shade of a brush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together

My mother’s call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them.

I never told my mother about my “miraculous(奇迹)” experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held.

1. The author’s mother told him to borrow a book in order to ________.

A．encourage him to do more walking	B．let him spend a meaningful summer
C．help cure him of his reading problem	D．make him learn more about weapons

2. The book caught the author’s eye because________.

A．it reminded him of his own dog

B．he found its title easy to understand

C．it contained pretty pictures of animals

D．he liked children’s stories very much

3. Why could the author manage to read the book through?

A．He was forced by his mother to read it.

B．He identified with（对某事有同感） the story in the book.

C．The book told the story of his pet dog.

D．The happy ending of the story attracted him.

4. Which one could be the best title of the passage?

A．My Passion for Reading	B．Mum’s Strict Order
C．Reunion with My Beagle.	D．The Charm of a Book.

3 . How are you and your family going to celebrate Earth Day? It’s a great day to get outside and ride a bike, but there are other ways you could spend the day. Here are four books. You can learn more about the earth and the animals that make the world a special place to live in.

The Busy Beaver, by Nicholas Oldland

Beaver is very, very busy, and he doesn’t always think carefully. As a result, he makes a mess of the forest and ends up in hospital. Finally, he realizes how careless he’s been and decides to make things right when he returns to the forest.

Lessons from Mother Earth, by Elaine Mcleod

Five-year-old Tess is visiting her grandmother and, for the first time, she visits the garden. Along the way, Tess’s grandmother tells her the rules of the garden, “You must always take good care of our garden. Never throw rubbish around. There is plenty for everyone to share if we don’t destroy the soil.” The story is beautifully told as a caring conversation between a child and her grandmother.

Luz Sees the Light, by Claudia Davila

When Luz’s community (社区) experiences a series of black-outs (停电), she quickly comes to understand the need to save energy and find other ways of doing things. With the help of her friends and neighbors, she creates a community garden and park that everyone can use. The book attracts many young readers.

The Lorax, by Dr Seuss

A young boy learns of the role of the Lorax as protector (保护者) of the trees, and how his home became polluted. The book contains memorable forestry conservation (森林保护).

1. We can learn from the passage that Beaver       .

A．always plans things carefully

B．never takes care of the forest

C．decides to leave the forest forever

D．gets hurt because of his carelessness

2. Which of the following books focus on the protection of forest?

A．The Busy Beaver and The Lorax.

B．Luz Sees the Light and The Lorax.

C．The Busy Beaver and Lessons from Mother Earth.

D．Lessons from Mother Earth and Luz Sees the Light.

3. What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To provide some activities to Earth Day.

B．To offer some books to young children.

C．To tell readers how to write children’s books.

D．To teach readers how to protect our environment.